The Conversation
by JantoJones
Summary: Ianto finds out about Jack's immortality. (Set in the second half of season one, slightly AU as Jack and Ianto are an established couple)


Jack saw the gun but had no time to react. The pain exploded through his head, and then all was darkness. Ianto watched Jack fall to ground, stone cold dead. He launched himself at Jack's murderer, but the other man was too strong for him. Ianto was easily knocked down with a punch to the face. He lay momentarily dazed next to his dead commander. When he recovered his wits, the attacker was gone. Ianto turned his attention to Jack. The Captain's lifeless eyes stared up at him as the Welshman pulled Jack into his arms and rocked gently backwards and forwards. Ianto wept openly, unable to grasp what had just happened.

"I guess that means we've got the right guy. Can we stop rocking, I get seasick?"

Ianto literally fell backwards in shock, and scrambled away from the, now very alive, man

"How...?"

Jack held his hand up to stop the question.

"Now isn't the time, Yan. Right now we have work to do, but first…"

He pulled Ianto in for a kiss, and then he got to his feet. "Come on Ianto, let's get the bad guy."

Ianto remained on the ground, confused at the weird turn of events. He stared at Jack's retreating back before his hindbrain took over his motor responses and he ran after his resurrected colleague.

He caught up to Jack, who by that time was talking to Owen on the phone, by the SUV.

"Yeah, we're back to tracking it. How's your knee?"

Ianto couldn't hear Owen's answer, but judging by the look on Jack's face, he was probably having a good old whinge. It had amused Ianto enormously that had Owen injured himself by slipping down the steps in the autopsy bay. It meant the medic having to do the hub-based mission co-ordinations while Ianto went out into the field.

"Best keep the weight off it then," concluded Jack, before hanging up. He indicated to Ianto to get into the vehicle. Jack took it upon himself to drive, as Ianto was still looking shell-shocked at his 'coming back from the dead'. They travelled in silence for a while apart from Ianto's occasional direction giving. He'd instantly picked up the signal they were tracing and it was well ahead of them. To Jack's annoyance, the traffic suddenly became very heavy. Five minutes later, they were at a complete standstill. The SUV's navigation system reported an accident up ahead, far too late for them to do anything about it.

"We're going to be stuck here for some time," Ianto commented, somewhat pointlessly.

"Seems so."

Jack phoned Tosh and instructed her and Gwen, with Owen's help, to try and pick up the trace. He hung up and smiled wantonly at Ianto.

"Fancy a fumble?"

Ianto pointed to the cars parked around them. "It's a bit public."

"The back windows are blacked out," Jack said, his voice dripping with hope.

"I'll decline if you don't mind."

Jack shrugged and gave up. They sat quietly for a while, watching the lack of activity around them.

"Tell me how you're not dead Jack," asked Ianto, eventually.

Jack looked the younger man straight in the eye, unsure whether to answer the question truthfully or not. He decided that he had to. Ianto had seen him come back and it was only fair for him to know the truth. Well, as much as Jack himself knew anyway.

"The thing is, I don't know. All I know is, I can't stay dead."

Ianto was clearly puzzled. "Were you born immortal?"

"No. Something happened a while ago and thousands of years in your future. I was killed." Jack winced at the memory. "More accurately, I was exterminated."

The word came like a blow to the stomach for Ianto. The last time he'd heard it was at Canary Wharf.

"Daleks?" he queried.

"Yes." Jack noted the pained look on Ianto's face, knowing exactly what it represented. Daleks and Cybermen and Lisa.

"I was on the Games Station with the Doctor and Rose Tyler."

"They were at Canary Wharf during the battle."

"I know."

Jack's head dropped slightly. The memory he was recounting was obviously taking huge emotional toll.

"Rose brought me back to life. At least, I think it was her. I have no idea how she did it but she was in my head when I woke up."

Ianto took hold of Jack's hand, trying to comfort him. Tears were welling up in Jack's eyes. He was hurting and it hurt Ianto in turn.

"They left without me," Jack continued. "They mustn't have realised that I'd come back."

"And since then, you've been unable to die?"

"I can die." Jack told him. "I just don't stay dead. I can't tell you the amount of times I've been killed."

Ianto was having some difficulty understanding everything. Working at Torchwood, he'd seen and read about many extraordinary things, but knowing Jack had died over and over was hard to comprehend.

"When was the last time you died?" Ianto asked, tentatively. He couldn't understand how he didn't already know about Jack's condition.

"Suzie shot me in the head after the whole thing with the Resurrection Gauntlet," he laughed slightly. "I'm sorry, Risen Mitten."

Ianto smiled at the name he himself had given the glove.

"It explains how you can survive that industrial strength coffee you insist I make for you," he joked. Then he asked,

"Who else knows?"

"Gwen. She was there when Suzie shot me."

They both fell silent again with Ianto still holding Jack's hand. The Welshman's mind was struggling with one question. He didn't know if he should ask it, scared of the answer he would receive. His mouth seemed to make his mind up for him.

"Did you not trust me enough to tell me?"

Before Jack could answer, Ianto cut him off.

"No, forget that. I've proven you can't trust me."

Jack put his hand on Ianto's cheek. "The trust is coming back," he told the younger man.

Trusting Ianto again had been difficult, but it was indeed returning. Jack would be the first to admit though, that he was still extremely wary him. It didn't stop him from loving Ianto though.

"My immortality is something I can't just drop into a conversation. I didn't withhold it deliberately though. Saying that, Owen and Tosh don't know, and I'm not in a hurry to tell them."

"You _can_ trust me Jack." This was the absolute truth. Ianto hadn't expected to be forgiven and was determined not to make Jack regret that decision.

"I know I can," Jack reassured his young lover.

They leant towards each other and kissed. Their tongues thoroughly explored each other's mouths. The sight attracted the attention of a car full of teens next to them. Neither Jack nor Ianto took any notice. They were far too caught up in each other. Jack's confession had caused Ianto to love him all the more. They only stopped when Jack's phone rang. Ianto silently cursed whoever it was; he was beginning to get in the mood for Jack's suggested fumble.

"Gwen, what's up?" Jack stuttered into the phone, clearly flustered.

Ianto let his mind drift off while Jack spoke to Gwen. He began to plan a quiet night in for Jack and himself. He wanted to get completely lost in the Captain. He was dragged back to the moment when Jack finished the call.

"Gwen and Tosh have retrieved the device and the guy who had it has been retconned."

"Just goes to show," began Ianto. "If something needs doing, let the women do it while you snog your lover in a traffic jam."

Jack laughed his wonderfully dirty laugh and returned to the snogging of his lover, much to the entertainment of the watching teens.


End file.
